Happy Gilmore Swing Ruled Illegal And Douchey

Happy Gilmore was released at about the same that Tiger Woods began to explode onto the golf scene. Woods’ youthful style and personality (along with Adam Sandler’s flick, if you ask me) led to a resurgence in the game. Kids wanted to play golf, and not just kids whose parents were millionaires and drank tea with their pinkies up. Real kids. And for many of these kids, the first thing they wanted to try was the Gilmore swing. Well, good thing it didn’t stick because apparently it’s illegal.

According to THR’s law blog, THR Esq., a man was recently found liable for injuries caused after he used the Gilmore swing in a drunken stupor on the golf course. Apparently, a Supreme Court judge from Canada ruled that the swing “breaches a duty of care” on the golf course, meaning that the swing presented risks to the players that aren’t natural to the game.

This all took place at a bachelor party that included a group of men getting crazy with beer, tequila, weed, and I bet hookers, but that’s my own assumption. One of the men, in hopes of impressing his friends, tried to bust out the Gilmore swing, but the ball ended up bouncing awkwardly, hitting another man in the wrist and chest, causing permanent nerve damage that kept the man from returning to work.

Now I understand that the swing isn’t exactly safe or aligned with “golf etiquette,” but this sounds more like a warning against drunken douche bags than a funny golf swing. So once again, idiots blame movies for their problems.